Today is usually the day of this challenge that I stop caring about writing another song, cause 4 songs is just fine and I’m tired… but just imagine how amazing it will be to look back on this week and have 5 brand new songs that you have written!

This is not a new thought but I want to quickly challenge you on the power of the practice of writing. Think about your favorite songs, musicals, books, plays, movies, poems, etc. They make you laugh, they transport you, they challenge your thinking, and sometimes they have been known to change the tides of history. Imagine writing the documents which hold the very words our country was founded upon. There’s some serious pressure attached to penning the script a nation will be governed by for centuries.

That thought alone might make you want to quit writing, because how could we ever hope to be as good as the heroes that wrote our favorites, but hold on for one last thought…

The goal of 5in5 week was not for you to write the next Declaration of Independence in song form, though that would be an amazing feat; but for you to start to write regularly and then to rewrite even more regularly.

Today, don’t put pressure on yourself to produce something great. Go for simple – an easy melody, a light little chorus or even an instrumental piece that you’ll develop next week. Next week?! We’ll get there… stay tuned because day 5 of 5in5 is the start, not the end.

Happy writing and thanks for being a part of the challenge this week!!

Every year that we do this challenge I always wonder if the next day I’ll be able to recreate the “magic” of the previous day. In fact, sometimes I dwell too long on the song of yesterday because I’m happy with how it turned out, or maybe just afraid I won’t be able to make something decent again today.

Go ahead and listen to your other songs one more time if needed, then press play on your writing for today. Don’t rewrite too much, record it and then let us hear your next creation… we can’t wait!!

Also thanks to everyone for joining in, regardless of when you took the plunge during this fun week of writing.

Let’s be honest, there’s a reason we only do this once a year. This is the challenge built for those of you who do not sleep and basically enjoy baring your soul to the internet. You know who I’m talking about – those of you that never sit still because you are constantly working on your latest creative masterpiece. You’re the same ones who probably don’t own a TV and are too busy to stop and smell the roses. Or in this day and age that might equate to not having the time to stop and eat the bacon. Truly the life of a tortured artist.

Then there is the other group. You’re waking up fully rested from your 8-10 hours of sleep each night, and sure, you may not have written a single song all year, but at least you still know how to enjoy the sweet cracklin’ goodness of bacon (sorry, I was hungry as I was writing this).

But there might be a happy middle ground. One where you schedule time to develop your art, but where you also stop to take in what has been created. 5in5 is for both groups of people and it’s all about starting your writing while also taking a few moments to enjoy what you are producing.

Here’s a quick rundown for anyone interested in this year’s 5in5:

write 5 new songs in 5 days
the goal is simply to start and finish a whole song to stretch both your creativity and your discipline as a writer. also, it’s basically the title of this challenge.

each song should be new
a new song each day is what you’re going to write. no songs you’ve previously started cause you’re starting fresh – you’ve got this!

co-writing is encouraged
this one has helped me write better songs the past few years of 5in5 and is highly encouraged for you to try at least once during the week. plus, with 2 (or more) of you working on the song you can take it to the next level. You know that level – where someone is writing and the other person is cooking up… BACON PANCAKES!

post the song in some public forum
most songwriters post their songs on a blog, youtube, facebook, soundcloud, etc. part of the beauty of 5in5 is forcing yourself to be vulnerable with your writing by putting it out there and when you post it brings a real sense of community.

post the link to your song at dnlwht.com each day
we want to hear what you’ve written and each day there will be a daily post where you can add your song link to let others find you more easily. after you post, don’t forget to go listen to what others are writing & give them encouragement.

I’m sure many of you will want to share this challenge with other songwriters and you are very welcome to do so, but even before you share this, there is one last personal step for you to take. We find that you’re more likely to complete this challenge if you tell someone. So take a quick second, and let others around you know that you’re going to participate in 5in5 with this simple phrase:

We know this challenge is tough but it could be the jumpstart your artistry needs this year. This might be the beginning of finding a great workflow for your art (your song, play, photography, poetry, etc.) while still finding time to savor the bacon! You owe it to yourself to jump in – you can sleep the other 51 weeks of the year.

Let’s have a listening party this week! And before you run off thinking this will not be fun, or sounds like more work than you want to do, I promise that it will be beneficial AND worth your time!

The truth is we all make plenty of mistakes, like my triple jump failure that I posted on Facebook last night…

… and which my Mom so beautifully captured. We know that it does not take much for us to feel like we failed at something or to get a week or two out from an event like 5in5 before that negative talk starts up inside our brains.

But we can change this by not believing these lies rolling around upstairs, AND by getting outside of ourselves to help others who might be facing these same feelings. So I propose that we join forces and throw a listening party!